In unconsolidated formations, horizontal and deviated wells are normally completed with completion systems having integrated sand screens. To control the flow of produced fluids, the sand screens may use inflow control devices (ICD)—one example of which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,393 to Brekke et al. Other examples of inflow control devices are also available, including the FloReg ICD available from Weatherford International, the Equalizer® ICD available from Baker Hughes, ResFlow ICD available from Schlumberger, and the EquiFlow® ICD available from Halliburton. (EQUALIZER is a registered trademark of Baker Hughes Incorporated, and EQUIFLOW is a registered trademark of Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.)
For example, a completion system 10 in FIG. 1 has completion screen joints 50 deployed on a completion string 14 in a borehole 12. Typically, these screen joints 50 are used for horizontal and deviated boreholes passing in an unconsolidated formation as noted above, and packers 16 or other isolation elements can be used between the various joints 50. During production, fluid produced from the borehole 12 directs through the screen joints 50 and up the completion string 14 to the surface rig 18. The screen joints 50 keep out fines and other particulates in the produced fluid. In this way, the screen joints 50 can mitigate damage to components, mud caking in the completion system 10, and other problems associated with fines and particulate present in the produced fluid.
Turning to FIGS. 2A-2C, the prior art completion screen joint 50 is shown in a side view, a partial side cross-sectional view, and a detailed view. The screen joint 50 has a basepipe 52 with a sand control jacket 60 and an inflow control device 70 disposed thereon. The basepipe 52 defines a through-bore 55 and has a coupling crossover 56 at one end for connecting to another joint or the like. The other end 54 can connect to a crossover (not shown) of another joint on the completion string. Inside the through-bore 55, the basepipe 52 defines pipe ports 58 where the inflow control device 70 is disposed.
The joint 50 is deployed on a production string (14: FIG. 1) with the screen 60 typically mounted upstream of the inflow control device 70. Here, the inflow control device 70 is similar to the FloReg Inflow Control Device (ICD) available from Weatherford International. As best shown in FIG. 2C, the device 70 has an outer sleeve 72 disposed about the basepipe 52 at the location of the pipe ports 58. A first end-ring 74 seals to the basepipe 52 with a seal element 75, and a second end-ring 76 attaches to the end of the screen 60. Overall, the sleeve 72 defines an annular space around the basepipe 52 that communicates the pipe ports 58 with the sand control jacket 60. The second end-ring 76 has flow ports 80, which separate the sleeve's inner space 86 from the screen 60.
For its part, the sand control jacket 60 is disposed around the outside of the basepipe 52. As shown, the sand control jacket 60 can be a wire wrapped screen having rods or ribs 64 arranged longitudinally along the base pipe 52 with windings of wire 62 wrapped thereabout to form various slots. Fluid from the surrounding borehole annulus can pass through the annular gaps and travel between the sand control jacket 60 and the basepipe 52.
Internally, the inflow control device 70 has nozzles 82 disposed in flow ports 80. The nozzles 82 restrict the flow of screened fluid from the screen jacket 60 into the device's inner space 86 and produce a pressure drop in the fluid. For example, the inflow control device 70 can have ten nozzles 82. Operators set a number of these nozzles 82 open at the surface to configure the device 70 for use downhole in a given implementation. In this way, the device 70 can produce a configurable pressure drop along the screen jacket 60 depending on the number of open nozzles 82.
To configure the device 70, pins 84 can be selectively placed in the passages of the nozzles 82 to close them off. The pins 84 are typically hammered in place with a tight interference fit and are removed by gripping the pin 84 with a vice grip and then hammering on the vice grip to force the pin 84 out of the nozzle 82. These operations need to be performed off rig beforehand so that valuable rig time is not used up. Thus, operators must predetermine how the inflow control devices 70 are to be preconfigured and deployed downhole before setting up the components for the rig.
When the joints 50 are used in a horizontal or deviated borehole of a well as shown in FIG. 1, the inflow control devices 70 are configured to produce particular pressure drops to help evenly distribute the flow along the completion string 14 and prevent coning of water in the heel section. Overall, the devices 70 choke production to create an even-flowing pressure-drop profile along the length of the horizontal or deviated section of the borehole 12.
Although the inflow control device 70 of the prior art is effective, it is desirable to be able to configure the pressure drop for a borehole accurately to meet the needs of a given installation and to be able to easily configure the pressure drop as needed. Moreover, flow passing through an inflow control device can reach high velocities as the flow exits internal ports. The high velocity flow may tend to damage components. For example, the high velocity flow can stress the surface of the basepipe in the inflow control device and can encourage corrosion.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is, therefore, directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.